Whatcha Cookin' "Friday?" - Strata

I hereby dub today "Forgetful Friday." This week has been fabulously busy. Lots of good stuff going on but alas, I just plumb forgot to post a recipe on Wednesday.

(Will my five readers leave me forever?!?! Hope not...)

Tell me what's better than bread, cheese and eggs. Not much.

I give you Strata. A yummy bread, egg, cheese casserole that you can make on a moment's notice or even the night before for a fabulous breakfast in the a.m. You can tweak this recipe to add or delete meat, add or delete veggies and on and on and on... The possibilites are endless.

Strata
(Serves 6-8)

1 loaf French bread, cubed (either by hand or with a knife)
2 packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1.5 lbs. cheese, grated (we use cheddar or mozzarella or a mixture, you can use any cheese that melts well.)
14 large eggs
2.5 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons dry mustard (optional, but adds a nice little bite)

Grease a 9-x-13-inch baking dish. Make a single layer of bread cubes in the bottom of the baking dish. Cover the bread evenly with the spinach. Then add half of the cheese. Top with another layer of bread cubes.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and seasonings. Pour over the layers evenly, making sure that all of the top layer of bread is moistened. At this point, you have two options: refrigerate it overnight or bake for 1 hour (350 degree preheated oven).

Take a peek at it after about 50 minutes. It shouldn't be ready to pull until its puffed up a bit and just starting to get golden brown (you don't want it too brown).

Test by inserting a knife in the center - it should come out clean. While it is cooling, top with the remaining cheese and allow it to melt by itself. (You might need to return it for just a minute to the oven to finish melting.)